A process for the preparation of a carbon-metal composite material for mechanical sliding members, comprising impregnating a carbon substrate with an alloy comprising copper, nickel or a copper-nickel as a base metal and at least one of titanium, zirconium and silicon as a wetting agent for the carbon. In one embodiment, the alloy further comprises at least one of a third component such as tin, antimony, zinc, manganese, iron, chromium, lead, magnesium and phosphorus.